The present invention relates to a point managing method for managing various points such as communication points used for receiving on-line services, a point managing system that employs the method, a central unit for use in the system, and a recording medium on which a program for realizing the device is recorded.
With the development of communication networks such as the Internet, businesses that provide various services, such as giving communication points used for charged or free on-line services to customers and providing on-line games and on-line shopping according to the given points, have been increasing.
Moreover, various service providers and various retail shops, which give valuable points as rewards for using transportation facilities, such as an air line, and for consumption activity, such as purchasing products, and provide various products and services in exchange for the valuable points when the amount of given valuable points reaches a predetermined value, are popularized.
However, when the amount of points given as a reward for consumption activity does not reach the predetermined value that gives a chance to exchange the points for products and services, these points are useless and the term of validity of the points sometimes expires before exchanging the points for products and services.
Since the services of giving valuable points as a reward for consumption activity are provided by many service providers and retail shops, there is a circumstance that the consumers have difficulty in remembering which service providers and retail shops they use as customers (members). In such a circumstance, there is a possibility that the expiry date of the valuable points passes before the consumers notice the given valuable points.
Furthermore, there is such a problem that the service providers and retail shops have disadvantages from the viewpoint of the taxation system because the valuable points that are not exchanged for products and services are counted as profits on the account books.
Besides, there are objectives to be achieved by a business entity which provides various services according to communication points that the number of customers must be increased and the frequency in use of services must be improved.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a main object of the present invention is to provide a point managing system which enables a customer to effectively use valuable points without considering the term of validity by exchanging the valuable points for communication points by a preset exchange rate according to an instruction from the customer, enables a business entity that provides various services in exchange for communication points to obtain new customers and achieve an improvement in the frequency in use of services, and prevents service providers and retail shops that manage the valuable points from having disadvantages from the viewpoint of the taxation system; a point managing system employing the method; a central unit for use in the system; and a recording medium on which a program for realizing the device is recorded.
Another object is to provide a point managing method, point managing system, central unit and recording medium capable of confirming the status of obtained valuable points and exchanging the valuable points for communication points by transmitting identification information such as a membership number given from a business entity who provides valuable points to a central unit managed by a service provider who manages communication points, and thereby unitarily managing the valuable points so that valuable points do not fall into oblivion.
A point managing method according to the first invention, which is a method for managing points among a first business entity, a second business entity who cooperates with the first business entity and customers of the first and second business entities, the first business entity managing communication points used for on-line services, the second business entity managing valuable points given to customers as a reward for consumption activity, the method comprising the steps of: instructing the first business entity by the customer to exchange valuable points for communication points; requesting the second business entity by the first business entity to send valuable points given to the customer, according to the instruction; sending requested valuable points by the second business entity to the first business entity; and exchanging received valuable points for communication points by the first business entity, according to a preset exchange rate.
The point managing method according to the first invention enables the customer to extend the substantial term of validity of valuable points whose expiry date is approaching by exchanging the valuable points for communication points by a preset exchange rate according to the instruction from the customer and enables the customer to effectively use various valuable points of small values which are useless as individuals by adding up these valuable points for a single communication point, thereby accelerating the spread of communication points. Hence, the first business entity can obtain new customers and achieve an improvement in the frequency in use of services. Moreover, by introducing a business mode in which the charge of services calculated according to the exchange rate is paid from the second business entity to the first business entity, the second business entity can limit profits derived from the expiration of the term of validity of valuable points on an account book and consequently can never have disadvantages from the viewpoint of the taxation system.
A point managing system according to the second invention, which is a point managing system comprising a central unit for managing communication points used for on-line services, a cooperate-use terminal unit that is connected to the central unit and manages valuable points representing a reward for consumption activity, and a customer-use terminal unit that is connected to the central unit, wherein the customer-use terminal unit comprises a controller capable of performing the operation of transmitting to the central unit exchange instructing information instructing an exchange of valuable points for communication points, the central unit comprises: a communication point database that records information related to communication points; an exchange database that records information related to an exchange rate between communication points and valuable points; and a controller capable of performing the operation of transmitting to the cooperate-use terminal unit valuable point request information requesting valuable points corresponding to the customer-use terminal unit according to received exchange instructing information; and the cooperate-use terminal unit comprises: a valuable point database that records information related to valuable points; a controller capable of performing the following operations: transmitting to the central unit valuable points corresponding to received valuable point request information; and updating the valuable point database according to the transmitted valuable points; and the controller of the central unit further capable of performing following operations: exchanging received valuable points for communication points according to an exchange rate recorded in the exchange database; and updating the communication point database according to the exchanged communication points.
The point managing system according to the second invention enables the customer to extend the substantial term of validity of valuable points whose expiry date is approaching by exchanging the valuable points for communication points by a preset exchange rate according to the exchange instructing information received from the customer-use terminal unit and enables the customer to effectively use various valuable points of small values which are useless as individuals by adding up these valuable points for a single communication point, thereby accelerating the spread of communication points. Hence, the first business entity who manages the central unit can obtain new customers and achieve an improvement in the frequency in use of services. Moreover, by introducing a business mode in which the charge of services calculated according to the exchange rate is paid to the first business entity from the second business entity who manages the cooperate-use terminal unit, the second business entity can limit profits derived from the expiration of the term of validity of valuable points on an account book and consequently can never have disadvantages from the viewpoint of the taxation system.
A point managing system according to the third invention is characterized in the system of the second invention that: the controller of the customer-use terminal unit further capable of performing following operations: accepting input of first identification information related to customers and second identification information that is different from the first identification information; and transmitting the first and second identification information to the central unit; the controller of the central unit further capable of performing the following operations: authenticating the customer-use terminal unit based on received first identification information; and transmitting received second identification information to the cooperate-use terminal unit; the valuable point database provided in the cooperate-use terminal unit stores valuable points recorded to correspond to the second identification information, and the controller of the cooperate-use terminal unit further capable of performing the operation of extracting from the valuable point database valuable points to be transmitted to the central unit, according to received second identification information.
In the point managing system according to the third invention, by performing authentication based on the first identification information such as an ID number and a password given to a customer from the first business entity to ensure safety and then transmitting to the central unit the second identification information such as a membership number given to the customer from the second business entity, it is possible to confirm the status of obtained valuable points corresponding to the second identification information and exchange the valuable points for communication points. It is therefore possible to unitarily mange the valuable points through the central unit, improve the convenience of the customer, and prevent the valuable points from falling into oblivion.
A central unit according to the fourth invention, which is connected to a cooperate-use terminal unit for managing valuable points representing a reward for consumption activity and a customer-use terminal unit, for managing communication points used for on-line services, comprising: a communication point database that records information related to communication points; an exchange database that records information related to an exchange rate between communication points and valuable points; and a controller, coupled to the communication point database and said exchange database, and capable of performing the following operations: when exchange instructing information instructing an exchange of valuable points for communication points is received, for transmitting to the cooperate-use terminal unit valuable point request information requesting valuable points corresponding to the customer-use terminal unit according to the received exchange instructing information; when valuable points corresponding to the transmitted valuable point information are received, for exchanging the received valuable points for communication points according to an exchange rate recorded in the exchange database; and updating the communication point database according to the exchanged communication points.
The central unit according to the fourth invention enables the customer to extend the substantial term of validity of valuable points whose expiry date is approaching by exchanging valuable points for communication points by a preset exchange rate according to the exchange instructing information received from the customer-use terminal unit and enables the customer to effectively use various valuable points of small values which are useless as individuals by adding up these valuable points for a single communication point, thereby accelerating the spread of communication points. Hence, the first business entity who manages the central unit can obtain new customers and achieve an improvement in the frequency in use of services. Moreover, by introducing a business mode in which the charge of services calculated according to the exchange rate is paid to the first business entity from the second business entity who manages the cooperate-use terminal unit, the second business entity can limit profits derived from the expiration of the term of validity of valuable points on an account book and consequently can never have disadvantages from the viewpoint of the taxation system.
A computer readable recording medium according to the fifth invention, which is a computer readable recording medium including thereon a recorded computer program for causing a computer having communication means to manage communication points used for on-line services, comprising: computer readable program code means, when exchange instructing information instructing an exchange of valuable points representing a reward for consumption activity for communication points is received, for causing a computer to transmit valuable point request information requesting valuable points to the communication means corresponding to the requested valuable points, according to the exchange instructing information; and computer readable program code means, when valuable points corresponding to the transmitted valuable point request information are received, for causing a computer to exchange the received valuable points for communication points according to a preset exchange rate.
The computer readable recording medium according to the fifth invention can extend the substantial term of validity of valuable points whose expiry date is approaching by exchanging the valuable points for communication points by a preset exchange rate according to the exchange instructing information by the execution of the recorded program on the computer and enables an effective use of various valuable points of small values which are useless as individuals by adding up these valuable points for a single communication point, thereby accelerating the spread of communication points. Hence, the first business entity who manages the central unit can obtain new customers and achieve an improvement in the frequency in use of services. Moreover, by introducing a business mode in which the charge of services calculated according to the exchange rate is paid to the first business entity from the second business entity who manages the communication device, the second business entity can limit profits derived from the expiration of the term of validity of valuable points on an account book and consequently can never have disadvantages from the viewpoint of the taxation system.